Siwoo tossed and turned. His heavy body and mind slipped into the world of unconsciousness.
But soon, unable to fall into a deep sleep, Siwoo tossed and turned and pulled the blanket up to the top of his head.
He sank down endlessly. As if heavy weights were attached to his entire body, he fell endlessly.
“Ha―.”
Because he was covered with the blanket, the stuffiness doubled. Siwoo, who was forcibly woken from sleep, sat up.
The loud noise that kept ringing in his head gradually grew louder.
“Kim Siwoo! Siwoo-ya! Open the door! I know you’re inside.”
Following the doorbell sound, the sound of pounding as if to break down the door and the sound calling his name kept echoing. If he’d fallen asleep naturally, it wouldn’t have been hard to wake up, but Siwoo, who still had sleeping pill effects remaining, couldn’t easily wake up.
His eyes wouldn’t open, and his body wouldn’t move as he wanted. With hands that wouldn’t properly gain strength, he pushed away the blanket pressing down on his body.
Slowly lowering his legs below the bed, he slipped his feet into the slippers he’d taken off.
Since his head was ringing and he couldn’t walk properly, Siwoo pressed his arm against the wall. The closer he got to the entrance, the louder the sound became. Only now did he realize that the person pounding on the door like crazy was Jinwook hyung.
“Hey! You bastard. You even turned off contact and…”
As soon as he opened the door, thick curses flowed from Jinwook hyung’s mouth as he came inside.
“It’s noisy.”
Siwoo muttered while leaning against the wall.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you sick somewhere?”
At Jinwook’s action of grabbing and shaking his shoulders, even his brain shook.
“No. I took sleeping pills, I can’t wake up.”
Only after barely raising his hand to grab Jinwook hyung’s arm did Siwoo say what he wanted to say.
“Then you should say you’re sleeping before you sleep. The agency and everyone are in chaos right now, but do you feel at ease sleeping alone? Then why did you turn off your phone?”
Though his words were rough, at his action of supporting him and sitting him on the sofa, Siwoo chuckled. Soon he even held out a cup of lukewarm water, so he moistened his parched mouth.
“In case you’d call and stuff like this. Ah, but what time is it now? Why did you come?”
Since he’d slept with even blackout curtains drawn, Siwoo, who had no concept of time, gave up on opening his eyes and lay down on his side again.
“Did you sleep as soon as you came yesterday? Tough guy. You must have slept at least 30 hours. Get it together. Is it hard?”
As Jinwook drew back the curtains while nagging, bright sunlight poured in. Like a zombie avoiding the sun, Siwoo squirmed to curl his body into a ball and buried his face in the sofa. Just let me sleep.
“Right now calls looking for you are flooding in, and you rose to 5th place in real-time search rankings.”
“Oh, jackpot.”
Siwoo’s voice saying “jackpot” was more ordinary and indifferent than ever. Since he was going to the military anyway, what use were real-time search rankings at 5th place?
“Look at this guy. Are you really not fully awake? You’re 5th in real-time search rankings. Right now the agency server crashed, and calls are coming in like crazy so the CEO pulled the cord for now. Then people are coming to the agency to look for you.”
Jinwook hyung, who got excited even over small things, conveyed the current situation realistically as if it were his own affair, even spitting while talking.
“So what?”
“What do you mean ‘so what’? We need to contact you to do something or other. You know, right? Taehoon hyung.”
Siwoo made a groaning sound and exaggeratedly acted as if he was having a hard time. How could he not know? Na Taehoon, because he trusted him as CEO, he was able to take sleeping pills and sleep. No matter what happened, he wasn’t someone who would make any decisions as he pleased without asking him.
So he’d left him alone until now after releasing only two mini albums in 3 years and going on a hiatus that wasn’t quite a hiatus for the past 10 months. Two months ago. The last appearance Siwoo remembered was him asking to just appear on ‘Journey,’ saying he’d let him do whatever he wanted, whether going to the military or diligently attending school.
He wasn’t someone who crazily worked his affiliated celebrities for money or for the company. Even without Siwoo, the idol who came out after Siwoo was making decent profits, so the agency could be maintained.
“What does the CEO say?”
Since Jinwook had known him as long as Taehoon, he dug into Siwoo’s weak spot. How should he put it, Siwoo and Taehoon’s relationship was like that. A relationship where they didn’t force anything on each other and were considerate of each other.
“What do you mean what does he say, he says to check your condition and talk. Did you eat before sleeping? Well, you’re not that kind of person. Don’t think weird thoughts again. Open your eyes.”
While listening to the sound of rummaging through the house, Siwoo still didn’t uncurl his body rolled into a ball. The sleep that had engulfed his entire body was gradually fleeing. And the first thing that came to mind through his clearing consciousness was Evan’s face.
Of all things, that face he’d encountered when he’d burst out in anger.
After giving such vicious, bizarre, and absurd commands, he was making a hurt expression instead.
It hadn’t been a suggestion. It wasn’t words of helping. It was a command. He’d been imposing as if he were the Creator.
“Hyung.”
“What, you damn bastard. Do you really live on dew alone? There’s nothing to eat in the refrigerator. Don’t you even have rice? Tsk.”
Well, since he was away from home for about 10 days, he’d emptied the refrigerator. The rice was for that reason too, the lack of fruit was for that reason, and the kimchi was for that reason too.
“That… send something simple to Evan’s agency. Charge me for the cost later. There was a commotion because of me. For driving me all the way here. I caused them harm.”
Jinwook closed the empty refrigerator and while rummaging through the cupboard next to it, clicked his tongue at his words caring about another agency so carefree. That’s why he lives like this. Siwoo was always others first. In this field where it’s hard to survive even if you’re greedy and bite down hard, he acted like an elegant scholar.
“You take care of yourself, you. I’ll go out and buy something, so wash up and wake up properly.”
He didn’t mention that Evan’s agency had already come and gone. They’d made a shockingly unconventional proposal. Joint appearances on all programs Evan appears on, even joint CFs. They wanted to move together on all parts related to ‘Journey.’
Taehoon didn’t want to inform Siwoo of this fact. A gag order about this matter had been issued to the entire agency. Jinwook pressed his hat down more after already seeing reporters loitering near Siwoo’s officetel.
Taking out his phone while walking, Jinwook habitually clicked his tongue. In the meantime, texts and missed calls had piled up.
“Yes. Hyung. He was sleeping. I just woke him up and told him to wash, and came out to buy something to feed him. He emptied the refrigerator completely again.”
At Taehoon’s words not to convey the outside situation and just let him rest well, Jinwook answered halfheartedly with “yes, yes” and ended the call. Anyway, all of this was a matter for Taehoon and Siwoo to decide.
And right now, there were two reasons he’d come here. Checking on Siwoo’s situation and notification about the next filming.
Jinwook, who’d bought porridge divided by type, quickly passed through the people murmuring and standing in front of the officetel.
“There really were a lot of contacts.”
Though he thought he’d be dawdling, seeing Siwoo touching his phone while shaking off wet hair as if he’d washed as told, Jinwook laid out all the porridge in front of him.
“How else would Taehoon hyung have sent me? Besides that, you got a lot of personal contacts too, right?”
Siwoo scrolled up the list and stopped at one place.
[I’m sorry]
Even without going in, one word was written next to the number 1. Almost 30 hours ago from now. It seemed he’d sent it right after they parted. After looking at it for a moment, Siwoo pushed the screen up again with his fingertips.
In the chat room with all the ‘Journey’ members, numbers indicating that messages had already been exchanged a lot were written.
“The porridge is getting cold. Hurry and choose. I’ll put the rest in the freezer, so find and heat them to eat.”
At his words, hesitant Siwoo put down his phone face-down and pulled over the porridge in front.
“Listen while eating. There are a lot of reporters in front right now, so don’t think about going out, and know that ‘Journey’ program title filming is in a week. The broadcast date was originally pushed back, but it’s been moved up so they’re hurrying.”
One week.
Like it or not, he had to meet him in a week.
“Hey! If you picked up the spoon, stuff it in your mouth. Given the current atmosphere, you going out won’t work, and even late at night Taehoon hyung will come himself, so know that.”
“Taehoon hyung doesn’t need to come. I won’t work except for ‘Journey’ official schedules. And I’m going to apply for military enlistment. Since I’ll have to go anyway, I think it’s better to go early and come back. Please tell him that.”
“Are you crazy? Don’t you know the saying to stir the water when the oar comes in? You’re a hot rising star right now. Becoming a star is no big deal. Evan’s side also says it’s good to do things together with you. They contacted us first about setting up broadcasts.”
At Siwoo’s words about going to the military, Jinwook, who’d spilled even the content he’d decided to keep quiet about, quickly shut his mouth. Siwoo slowly put down the spoon he was holding.
“What did you say?”
“Ah, shit. I wasn’t supposed to say this, but since it’s an issue now, let’s appear on broadcasts together, that kind of thing. Well, since all the other kids already have broadcasts scheduled, let’s naturally promote the broadcast and such.”
“They proposed it first?”
“Rather than a proposal, it’s all like that.”
At Jinwook’s evasive words, Siwoo let out a long sigh.
“I really need to go to the military. That’s the only way.”
An appetite that hadn’t existed until now returned. Eat anything well, cheer up, be strong, act like it’s nothing, be cool, be chic, like that. He’d enlist on the day ‘Journey’ has its final broadcast. Vitality returned to Siwoo’s eyes that had been blinking hazily and slowly without passion.
“Who says you can go to the military!”
Looking at Jinwook snapping in front, Siwoo smiled as prettily as possible. Whose decision is it? It’s my decision. He couldn’t quite answer that way to his face.
